Tampa Bay Rays Reinstate Richie Palacios From Injured List With Season Winding Down

Utility man Richie Palacios has been out with a knee sprain since July 31, but he is finally set to rejoin the Tampa Bay Rays for the final week of regular season action.

Jul 25, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Richie Palacios (1) celebrates in the dugout with teammates after scoring against the Toronto Blue Jays in the third inning at Rogers Centre. / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays have reinstated outfielder Richie Palacios from the 10-day injured list, the team announced Monday afternoon.

Palacios hasn't appeared in an MLB game since the Rays faced the Miami Marlins on July 31. He left that contest after hyperextending his right knee, and he was ultimately placed on the injured list with a right knee sprain on Aug. 2.

It took Palacios until Sept. 17 to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham, then another week before he was cleared to return to the big leagues. Palacios hit .222 with a .556 OPS across five minor league games, walking three times and striking out once.

To make room for Palacios on the active roster, Tampa Bay has optioned infielder Austin Shenton to the team's Spring Training complex in Port Charlotte, Florida.

The Tampa Bay Rays have reinstated OF Richie Palacios from the 10-day injured list and optioned INF Austin Shenton to the spring training complex.

— Rays Communications (@RaysPR) September 23, 2024

Before he went down, Palacios was on pace for a career year. He may have only been batting .233 with a .682 OPS through 88 appearances, but he did have five home runs, 21 RBI, 19 stolen bases and a 2.1 WAR to that point in the season.

Palacios had been providing value with much more than his bat, proving himself to be one of Tampa Bay's most dynamic defenders. He logged most of his innings in right field and at second base, but he also spent some time as a left fielder, third baseman and shortstop.

On the whole, Palacios has recorded 7 defensive runs saved this season – three in the outfield and four at second base.

The Rays acquired Palacios in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals last January, costing them All-Star relief pitcher Andrew Kittredge. While Palacios didn't contribute much as a rookie with the Cleveland Guardians in 2022, he did hit .258 with six home runs, 16 RBI, two stolen bases, an .823 OPS and a 0.5 WAR across 32 games with the Cardinals in 2023.

Palacios, who has one more year before he becomes arbitration eligible, will now get to face major league pitchers for one more week before heading into the offseason with a clean bill of health. The 27-year-old will rejoin the roster ahead of Tuesday's series opener against the Detroit Tigers, which gets underway at 6:40 p.m. ET.

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